“I’ll give you a fair warning,” the voice of the Custodian said from behind him. “This trial is extremely difficult, especially given your cultivation base and the prowess of your soul. Don’t feel too discouraged if you don’t do well.”
“How long will this trial take?” Cha Ming asked. He was getting increasingly worried about the amount of time he was spending away from the villagers.
“Two months if you are fast, three months if you are slow,” the Custodian replied.
“Very well, please activate the third trial,” Cha Ming said, seeing the time was still within reasonable limits.
Like before, the world around him faded. This time, there was no darkness, there was no classroom. There was only a pure white space.
Huxian and three wolves residing in his territory trotted proudly as they scaled the mountain to attend the summit. These ambitious followers had proven themselves multiple times over the past months. As such, he had gifted them with compatible cultivation techniques. They had broken through mere days before the summit, a welcome addition to the meager forces at his disposal.
Instead of avoiding the other beasts’ territories, he walked through them proudly. In fact, he went out of his way to walk through cat territory and bear territory, wasting no opportunities to upset the bear’s staunch supporters. While they yearned to bite back, what could they do? Even king-level beasts wouldn’t have half the guts required to challenge Lord Two Tails.
As they climbed, they were joined by multiple other beasts: Demon deer, boars, birds of prey, and insects all gathered under his banner. It was an impressive display, only eclipsed by other king-level figures. In the distance, he saw King Aquatic Moose accompanied by the vast majority of prey-type animals. He also saw Queen Bee leading a veritable army of insects. She had seemingly hidden her strength for a long time. All for this day and her chance for vengeance.
Huxian saw another familiar figure as he neared the peak. It was the geomantic boa and her brood. Their numbers looked to be three times higher than he remembered previously. He wasn’t surprised, however. Deception came naturally to those belly draggers. An increase in numbers wasn’t the only trump card they had. He noticed a three-colored sheen on the geomantic boa and her three children’s fangs, a clear indication that they had successfully cultivated the Triple Lotus Venom Strengthening technique. With this, their attack prowess had surely doubled, increasing Huxian’s margin of safety considerably.
Instead of proceeding to the middle of the lord-level beasts, he cut straight to the front. Even the cats, the bears, and the stoats didn’t dare say anything in protest. They could all tell instinctively that he was their superior in every way. In fact, he was only a formality away from becoming a king-level existence.
Huxian didn’t wait long before a large hundred-foot bear came prowling down from the peak of the mountain where he resided. The bear’s gaze swept across kings and lords like a monarch examining his troops. When the bear looked at Huxian, their eyes locked. The demon bear snorted and projected his killing intent toward Huxian, who didn’t bat an eyelash. Instead, he yawned. The bear sovereign could only contain his fury and ignore him, continuing to inspect the remaining beasts.
“Welcome, everyone, to this year’s summit,” the bear announced. As usual, we’ll start with the division of territory. Are there any new lords that wish to challenge existing ones to capture their territory?”
The targets of this question were obvious: He was referring to Huxian’s three followers and the latest swarm of insects and snakes.
“This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Nightmare Forest Leopard for two thirds of his territory!” the eldest of the wolves beside Huxian yelled.
“This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Swiftwind Jaguar for two thirds of his territory!” the second wolf yelled.
“This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Midnight Panther for two thirds of his territory!” the youngest wolf yelled. Despite being the youngest, he was the most powerful of the trio. His bloodline was slightly stronger than the other two.
The Sovereign’s and the savanna lion king’s eyes narrowed at when they heard this. This was an open provocation, a deliberate attempt to shift the balance of power. The savanna lion king shot Huxian a murderous look. “It’s best not to bite off more than you can chew, little runt. You might become a king-level figure today, but you’ll be the lowest of the low.”
“Enough with the posturing,” Huxian said aggressively. “Will you scaredy-cats fight or surrender? This king doesn’t have much time to waste today on petty matters.”
“You!” The savanna lion king could barely contain his anger. After all, these three challenges would deprive him of a third of his total territory.
“Fine, if you want a fight, we’ll give you one.”
The bear looked at the three wolves beside Huxian worriedly. They didn’t seem exceptional, but the one beside them was an unfathomable wildcard. He had to curb Lord Two Tails’s power, lest the runt overthrow him before they had a chance to kill him during the next human tide.
King Savanna Lion, have your subordinates go for killing blows. If they kill the wolves, I’ll take the heat. That fox must not be allowed to gain territory during this summit.
The large feline king had long since thrown his lot in with the Sovereign. Therefore, he complied with great glee. The Sovereign soon received King Savannah Lion’s confirmation. Now, he could rest easy.
Unlike the usual tradition, the three battles would take place simultaneously. Huxian did not oppose this; he was sure that the Sovereign would try something dirty this time, so he quietly informed his faithful lapdogs of the circumstances.
“Fight!” the Sovereign bellowed.
The battle began, and the three wolves, a small jaguar, a pitch-black leopard, and an impressive-looking panther went into their fighting stances. The battle was much more vicious than all the past battles between lords of the forest. It was clear that the three wolves were being supressed and could barely defend. Red claw marks quickly appeared on their muzzles and their gray fur coats. Still, they didn’t give up and kept fighting back with their all.
“You should call off your little mutts if you don’t want them to die,” the lion king said, gloating. “After all, claws and teeth don’t have eyes in the thick of battle. It’s difficult to control one’s attacks when faced with life and death.”
You said it, Huxian said, chuckling inwardly. Then he looked toward the three wolves. Keep up the good work, boys! Keep showing that same opening, right at your jugular. Act on my mark!
Suddenly, the battle took a turn for the worse. All three cats simultaneously lashed out with vicious claws. Each of them was different—Lord Swiftwind Jaguar’s claws were veritable sickles of wind, the sharpest and most vicious of all the elements. Nightmare Forest Lord’s claws shone with a blackish-green tint, clearly poisoned. Meanwhile, Midnight Panther Lord’s claws were more subdued and deceptive. They were laced with the power of darkness, and it was clear that avoiding them was now a matter of life or death.
“Foul play!” the geomantic boa roared when he saw these three lethal attacks. But the Sovereign pretended he didn’t hear or see anything.
Huxian grinned when he saw the lethal attacks. Use it now!
Suddenly, a vicious light appeared in each of the three wolves’ eyes. Their round blue pupils shifted and became dark narrow slits. Their irises took on a yellow hue and now appeared like the eyes of a basilisk. The audience gasped in shock when they saw this development. Were these truly wolves?
The three cat beasts weren’t amazed, however—they were petrified. They paused mid-strike due to their crippling fear, and before they knew it, they were paralyzed in this position. The wolves wasted no time and did what wolves did best: They bit at the cats’ necks without any hesitation. Their sharp execution led to a swift reversal of positions. After taking a deep bite, they tossed the three cat corpses on the ground a
nd proceeded to chew on their corpses.
“Impudent wretches!” the savanna lion king roared, jumping in front of the corpses of his followers, the presence of a king radiating down on the three wolves. They had no choice but to cower in fear. However, they didn’t have to wait long before Lord Two Tails’s radiant aura burst out, and he jumped in front of the savanna lion king.
“Oh?” Huxian barked. “I’d like to see why you think my subordinates are being impudent.”
“This was a friendly battle for territory, but your lapdogs went for killing blows!” the lion king roared indignantly. “There is a strict rule on this mountain against killing, and your followers have broken it. I demand their deaths.”
Huxian chuckled. “How convenient. You and I both know that your minions simultaneously went for killing blows against these three brave wolves. It was only due to their good luck that I passed them all a skill as a trump card for insurance. They originally didn’t plan on activating it, but seeing as your cats were disregarding the rules, they had no choice but to act. And now you have the face to argue against me?
“Since all three acted at the same time, it was clearly a premeditated act. As a punishment, I demand that the full territory of these three cats be handed to my wolf lords as compensation.”
“You!” The lion king was boiling over with rage. Fortunately for him, the Sovereign came to his rescue.
“This is a very serious charge, Lord Two Tails,” the Sovereign said solemnly, seemingly impartial. “This Sovereign did not see any such treacherous acts from the cats. Furthermore, it’s the cats that have died. This truly calls into question whose act was premeditated.”
“Shameless!” Huxian roared. “So if this cat’s minions want to kill mine, I should have them wash their necks and prepare for death? I see that there is a severe double standard at work here.”
The Sovereign’s eyes narrowed. “This is a grave accusation, little one. You had better think twice before laying down this kind of challenge.”
“I support this challenge!” the geomantic boa yelled.
I support this challenge! the Celestial Rainbow Queen Bee said mentally to everyone present.
The bear sovereign gazed at these beasts coldly, unsurprised by their insubordinate behavior.
“I support this challenge!” another voice yelled out. It was surprisingly the moose king. The moose king was usually the most passive of the kings. However, this time he stepped out to support the challenge against the cats.
The surrounding animals weren’t stupid. It was clear that things were not going smoothly for the cats and that a new faction was emerging and challenging the Sovereign’s ruling.
“Very well,” the Sovereign announced. “The challenge will proceed. Do you have any proof to offer?”
“I saw what happened with my very eyes,” the geomantic boa slithered. “In fact, I yelled out about it, but no one took my warning to heart. This queen’s heart feels wounded at this neglect.” As the most powerful queen, the geomantic boa’s words held huge sway.
“This is still all hearsay,” the bear said calmly. “Do you have actual proof?”
“How convenient,” Huxian interjected. “If they had killed my wolf brothers, you would have denied any wrongdoing and asked for proof. Now that they are dead, I need proof that the cats tried to kill them first. Truly an impartial sovereign.”
“Impudence!” the savanna lion king, the brown bear king, the panther king, and the stoat king roared. Meanwhile, the turtle king, the eagle king, and the badger king stood by. These were neutral existences that never took sides.
Suddenly, a soft coughing sound emerged within the minds of all the beasts. Everyone turned to stare at a non-descript owl. “I have a way to shed light on this situation, if these kings wouldn’t mind this humble lord’s interjection.”
“What proof could you possibly offer?” the lion king shouted.
“Seconded!” Huxian yelled.
“Seconded!” the geomantic boa slithered.
“Seconded!” the queen bee buzzed.
“Seconded!” the moose king roared.
Seeing this support, the Sovereign had no choice but to concede. He looked at the owl with disdain.
“This is serious business. If you can’t prove the results beyond a shadow of a doubt, I’ll still give you a chance to withdraw. Otherwise, you won’t be able to escape punishment.”
The owl ruffled his feathers when he heard this. “I’m confident in my abilities!” Then, he bravely hopped up beside the bear sovereign, and a three-dimensional projection of the battle was thrown up into the sky.
“This is my inherent ability,” the owl said proudly. “I can replay any scene that I’ve seen. Notice that until now, no one has truly landed any killing blows, and the battle is one-sided.”
They continued watching the battle, until finally, the three cats launched attacks all at once.
“Notice how their claw attacks are all swiftly directed at the wolves’ jugulars, and all with precise timing,” the owl explained. “The wolves are apparently defenseless. Most abilities would be useless to defend against this. Now, moving along, notice how the wolves activated their abilities in retaliation. The end result is evident given the three corpses beside us. This humble servant will not pass judgement, but the result seems clear.” The owl then fluttered away immediately and floated behind Huxian. His stance was clear as well.
“Stop being shameless and pass the verdict,” the geomantic boa slithered. Her brood also began slithering as a group, giving the most powerful queen an ominous backdrop.
The Sovereign’s expression was one of cold fury. “Very well, the result is clear. All of these three rebellious cats’ territories will go to these noble wolf lords as compensation. Are you satisfied?”
Huxian nodded and looked tauntingly at the savanna lion king, who could barely contain his temper.
“Are there any other lords who wish to make a challenge?” the bear sovereign asked, not bothering to hide his imposing presence. Despite his best efforts, several small figures stood up to challenge. Unsurprisingly, it was twelve snakes, followers of the geomantic boa.
“I challenge Lord Unrivaled Stoat!” one yelled.
“I challenge Lord Skulking Ferret!” another yelled.
One by one, they challenged all twelve lords of the stoat family. After the insects and snakes, the stoats were most numerous. Unlike last time, they did not fight all at once, and the stakes were much lower. Each snake only challenged the stoats for one third of their land, the minimum amount.
It took a good hour for all of the challenges to finish, and by the end of it, half the challengers had won, leading to only a mild exchange in territory. The stoats and ferrets had all been poisoned in their battles.
“Since this is a friendly match, I will give you all the antidote after the summit ends,” the geomantic boa said in a nonchalant voice. Since he had taken the initiative, the stoat king and his minions could only choke back their tears. The poison wasn’t lethal, at least not for the next few hours.
The Sovereign massaged his temple with his paws. “Does anyone else want to challenge?”
Fortunately, the swarm of insect lords didn’t issue any challenges. Two bear lords issued challenges to two bee lords, who eventually lost half of their negligible territory.
“Now then, since all these petty disputes are settled, it’s time to welcome a new king of the forest, King Two Tails!” the Sovereign announced.
Chapter 24: Sovereign
The sea of demonic beasts spoke in hushed whispers as Huxian stepped up. His black-and-white appearance was regal, befitting of a true king of the forest. Even many of the other kings couldn’t help but lower their heads instinctively.
“King Two Tails, as a king of the forest, you will be allocated a portion of the forest’s territory depending on your rank and merit,” the Sovereign said gravely. “In exchange, it’s your responsibility to protect all those beneath you during every
human tide. Do you accept?”
“Of course I accept,” Huxian said proudly. “It’s my duty to protect all the spirit beasts on this mountain, even those I dislike. I will even protect the lion king if he’s in a pinch.”
“Your enthusiasm is commendable,” the Sovereign said. “We will all count on you to make this mountain stronger. Since you are the most junior member, and your current territory and that of your underlings is sufficient, you will not be gaining any extra territory. Would you like to challenge anyone?”
Huxian shook his head. “There is no need. I’m satisfied with what I have. I only seek to protect my brother beasts.” Mumbles of approval in the sea of beasts ensued.
“Such a king lacking in ambition is not deserving of his territory,” the savanna lion king said, cutting the moment of appreciation short. “I challenge King Two Tails to regain the territory of my subordinates.”
The group of demonic felines behind him hissed, reinforcing his menacing atmosphere.
“Are you sure you wish to do this?” the Sovereign asked, frowning. “Sometimes it’s best not to let your anger cloud your judgement.”
The lion king shook his head. “I refuse to let him do as he pleases. He is unlawful with no regard to his seniors. Someone has to discipline him, and that someone may as well be me!”
The bear sighed. “Very well. Do you accept his challenge, King Two Tails?”
“How can I not accept the challenge of this pompous buffoon?” Huxian said. “Leaving his territory in his incapable hands is a wasteful use of nature’s riches. This territory will be much safer under this king’s supervision.”
Light in the Darkness Page 23
